Direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converters provide the capability to convert energy supplied by a power supply from one voltage and current level to another voltage and current level. Such circuits are widely employed in conjunction with computing platforms, such as personal computers, server nodes, laptop computers, and a variety of other computing systems. Such circuits are desirable because specifications for a processor typically employ lower voltages, such as 0.5 to 5 volts, and higher currents; such as, reaching 50 to over 100 amps, that may change over a relatively wide range with a relatively high slew rate.
DC/DC converters are desirable for providing voltage regulation under these conditions for a variety of reasons. One reason is because such circuitry may be placed relatively close to the board components, resulting in the capability to provide low local voltage tolerances due to higher switching frequencies, single output topology, and a reduction in resistance from shorter electrical connections.
Currently, power switches are driven by simple drivers which correspond to 1-step drivers. To save power in off-chip DC/DC converters, L-C resonant techniques have been used to charge capacitance via an inductor instead of a resistor. However, such techniques require an inductor that may occupy extra space and increase manufacturing cost. In addition, there is a need for high-frequency off-chip DC/DC converters in order to improve transient response when powering a microprocessor. There is also a need for a fully integrated high-frequency DC/DC converter in order to further improve transient response and reduce size.